Gage for alining printing-plates.



K. M. SGHLUETBR & F. SCHLUBTER, J11. GAGE FOR-ALINING PRINTING PLATES.

APPLICATION 1:11:21) MAY 3, 1911. 1,01 3,62 1. Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

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GAGE FOR ALINING PRINTING PLATES..

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1911.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

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IA PLANOORAPH CO" WASH mum. D- C nmrnn snares PATENT onrrcn.

KARL M. SCHLUETER AND FERDINAND SCI-ILUETER, JR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAGE FOR ALINING PRINTING-PLATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 2, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, KARL M. SCHLUETER and FERDINAND SCHLUETER, Jr.,citizens of the United States, and residents of New York, county of NewYork, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gages for Alining Printing-Plates, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, forming a part thereof, in which similar letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts.

' This invention relates to gages for alining printing plates on groovedand scored base-blocks of printing presses; the device being especiallyadapted for registering and alining a plurality of plates in position toprint a sheet comprising the several pages of a signature. These platesare generally of rectangular contour, and embody respectively abevel-edged base and a raised, integrally formed type-faced upper part,which is also of rectangular contour, but covers less area than thebase, and has vertical edges. The said type-faced parts of the printingplates of a given set are respectively of equal area, but the base partsare frequently variable, and their four beveled edges are notequidistant, on a horizontal plane, from the vertical edges of thetypefaced parts; the said beveled edges also vary in degree. Therefore,when a plurality of plates are alined, in accordance with the presentmethods, by registering the lower edges of their bases on the scoredguide lines of the block the type-faced parts are frequently out ofalinement; the plates are also, owing to the differential angles of thebeveled edges of their bases, susceptible of being pushed out ofalinement by the act of fastening the plate holders employed to securethe plates to the block, as will be readily understood by those familiarwith the art of printing.

The present invention has for its objects to provide means for rapidlyand accurately registering and alining the type-faced parts of theplates; to obviate liability of displacement of the plates by means ofthe fasteners employed to secure them to the block; and to produceprinted sheets embodying signatures having their several pages inperfect register and alinement.

The invention will be hereinafter fully described and specifically setforth in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification Figure1, is a plan view of our improved gage; Fig. 2, a side elevationthereof; Fig. 3, a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;Fig. 4, a detached view of a bolt forming part of the device; Fig. 5, aplan view of a printing press base-block illustrating the mode of usingthe invention; Fig. 6, a side view of part of the block having ourdevice thereon; and Fig. 7, is a vertical sectional view taken on theline 77 of Fig. 6.

In the practice of our invention we employ primarily, a steel or othermetal rod a, as shown in the drawings, which is square in cross section,but it may be round or of other cross sectional shape, and is providedupon its upper surface with a scale I); leading downwardly from andregistering with the graduations of said scale I), along one side of therod a, are notches 0, for engagement with a bolt, as will be hereinafterdescribed.

Mounted upon the rod a, are horizontally slidable standards d, whichrespectively comprise an upright 1, adapted to rest on the base block ofa printing press, and a vertically adjustable guide 2, for engaging thevertical edges of the type-faced parts of printing plates. The guide 2,engages a plate 4L, which is extended laterally across the lower or basepart of the standard (Z, and it is provided with dowel pins 5, whichengage vertical openings 6, formed in the overhanging upper part of thestandard d. As a means for adjusting the guide, 2, setscrews 7, arejournaled in slots 8, of the lateral extensions 9, of the standard (Z,and threaded into the respective ends of the guide 2; vertical movementof each set screw 7, is prevented by means of an annular flange 10,which bears on the lower surface of the overhanging part 9, of thestandard (Z, thus the guide 2, may be securely set in posit-ion requiredby the thickness of printing plates employed.

Engaging a laterally extended cylindrical opening 11, in each standard0?, is a bolt 12, which embodies an inner cylindrical end part 14:,having a V-shaped key 13, for engaging the notches 0, of the rod 0,, anintermediate semi-cylindrical part 15, which bears upon the uppersurface of the rod a, and an outwardly extended cylindrical part 16. Thesaid bolt 12, is normally maintained in locked position by means of aspiral spring 17 which is located between the inner end of said bolt andthe terminal wall of the cylindrical opening 17. It will be noted thatthe fiat portion of the part 15, of the bolt 12, bears on the uppersurface of the rod a, whereby said bolt can not rotate and its key isnormally in register with one of the notches a.

lnconjunction with the above described device we employ a tiltingstraight-edge 6, having a beveled overhanging edge part f, for engagingthe vertical edges of the printing plates, and a parallel beveled edgepart g, for registering with the scored guide lines h and z, of the baseblock j. The said straight-edge is tilted to a desired angle by means ofset screws 70, which bear at their I lower ends upon the surface of theblock 7'; said straight-edge is also provided with a scored central line1, which registers with the center of the block when the straightedge isplaced thereon.

In the operation and use of the invention, when it is desired to set aplurality of plates, as m, the two end plates of the first row areplaced in approximately correct position on the gripper line of theblock 7', (one of the horizontal scored lines It). These lines extendparallel to each other over the entire upper surface of the block, butfor purposes of illustration we have only shown enough of them todisclose their relation to our invention. Laterally extended guide lines2',

. are also extended over the block j, at right angles to said lines It.Having placed the said end plates, the straight-edge c, is placed on theblock j, with its beveled edge 9, in register with a suitable horizontalguide line it, and its overhanging edge f, contacting with the insidevertical edges n, of the typefaced parts 8, of said plates. Then saidstraight-edge is fixed on said horizontal guide line by means ofsuitable plate fasteners, as 32; these may be of any construction of thevariety adapted to be clamped and held in arbitrarily required positionwithin the grooves g, of the block j. Having set the straight-edge theinside plates m, of the first horizontal row are placed on the block andmoved laterally until the inside vertical edges a, of the type-facedparts 8, of said plates m, contact with the overhanging beveled edge f,of the straight-edge e. The first sliding standard u, of the gage isthen adjusted to the zero mark on the scale, and the third standard to,is set at a distance therefrom equal to one-half of the length of thesheet to be printed. The standard 41, is then set at a distance from thestandard u, equal to the head margins required for the pages to beprinted, and the standard it, is set at an equal distance from thestandard w. The gage is now placed over the plates with the guides 2, ofthe inner standards contacting with the head edges 18, of the type-facedportions of the inner plates, said plates being moved horizontally untiltheir foot edges 19, are equidistant from the scored line 7, of thestraight-edge. The two outer or end plates are then similarly set withtheir head edges 20, contacting with the guides 2, of the outerstandards. Plate fas-.

teners p, are then set against the foot and outside edges of the baseparts of all four plates and securely clamped in their respectivegrooves 9. Owing to the fact that the printing plates are alined attheir top or type-faced parts, said type-faced parts remain in perfectalinement. Having set the first horizontal row of plates thestraightedge is placed and set on a suitable lateral scored line 2',with its overhanging edge f, contacting with the lateral edge 18, of thesecond plate m, of the said horizontal row of plates. Then the gage isset for registering a lateral row-of plates, and the remaining threeplates of said row are placed and fixed in the manner above described.Then the straight-edge is removed, and the remaining rows of plates areset by means of the gages only, the rows being alined and spaced by theguide-plates 2, and the printing plates respectively fastened at theedges opposite to said guide plates. Having thus set all the printingplates plate fasteners are adjusted to their free edges, thus securingthem firmly, and producing a perfectly registered and alined form whoseplates require no readjustment by the pressman.

While we have illustrated a construction of gage adapted for use on afiat base-block, it is also susceptible (in slightly modified form) ofuse in connection with a cylindrical base.

Having thus described our invent-ion, what we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A gage for alining printing plates on base blocks, said gagecomprising a horizontal rod having a scale thereon, and a plurality ofsliding standards supporting said rod and arranged at right anglesthereto, each of said standards having an overhanging straight-edgedpart for engaging the edges of type-faced parts of printing plates, anda parallel base part beneath said overhanging part, for engaging thesurface of the base block, substantially as shown and described.

2. A gage for alining printing plates on base blocks, said gagecomprising a horizontal rod having a scale thereon, and

notches registering with the graduations of said scale, and a pluralityof sliding standards supporting said rod and arranged at right anglesthereto, each standard having a lower base part and an overhangingstraight-edged part parallel therewith, and means for locking saidstandards on said rod, in combination with a tilted straightedge havingan overhanging upper edge part for engaging the edges of type-facedparts of printing plates, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a gage for alining, registering and spacing printing plates onbase blocks, the combination, with a horizontal rod having a scalethereon; of a plurality of standards arranged at right angles across andin slidable engagement therewith, each standard having an overhangingvertically adjustable straight-edged guide plate for engaging thevertical edges of the type-faced parts of printing plates, and means foradjusting said guide plates, substantially as shown and described.

4. As a means for alining, registering and spacing printing plates onbase blocks, the combination, with a gage having a scale thereon andnotches registering with the gradua-tions of said scale, and a pluralityof sliding standards on said rod, each standard having an overhangingstraight-edged part, for engaging the edges of the type-faced parts ofprint-ing plates, and also a spring pressed bolt having a key forengaging said notches, of a tilted straight-edge having an overhangingupper edge part for engaging the edges of type-faced parts of printingplates and a parallel lower edge part for registering with guide line ofbase blocks, and set-screws for maintaining the straightedge in desiredtilted position, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a gage for alining printing plates at their type-faced parts, thecombination, with a metal rod having a scored scale and notchesregisterin with the graduations of said scale; of a plurality of slidingstandards each having a spring-pressed bolt, for engaging said notches,and an adjustable guide plate having an overhanging straightedged part,for engaging the edges of typefaced parts of printing plates, and screwsfor adjusting said guide plates, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that, we claim the foregoing as our invention, we havesigned our names in the presence of two witnesses, this 21st day ofApril, 1911.

KARL M. SCHLUETER. FERDINAND SCHLUETER, J R.

Witnesses:

N. STERN, BERTRAM H. ROUSE.

Copies of this patent inay be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. (23%

